A Bubbly Buyers’ Guide

Well, people, that festive and exciting time of year is upon us. There are times when I wish that celebratory and well-wishing attitude would carry through the rest of the year, but I think I would be exhausted by February if it were so. I’m here to give you some beverage ideas for your holiday and New Year’s celebrations; more specifically, my favorite of all drinks: champagne!

Champagne is an often over-used term people use to describe a bubbly wine. Technically speaking, the term champagne is only produced in the region of the same name in France. Anything else is sparkling wine; however, we won’t really care about that right now. I’ve tasted some really great (and some not so great) sparkling wines and am here to give you a little help in your party preparation.

When looking for a sparkling wine, one has several options, and then some more choices within those options. I’m going to talk about three here: Champagne, Prosecco, and Cava. I love all three of these, but they have three different uses. We will start with the Champagne.

There are typically three grapes that go into the production of Champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Beyond that, one will find different levels of sweetness within the brands (from the least sugar to highest): Brut Natural, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Sec, Demi-Sec, and Doux. The most common is Brut, though the origins of Champagne were much more on the sweeter side. It is a matter of personal preference which sweetness you like best, but I usually go for a dryer bottle.

Champagne can get quite expensive, with some bottles hitting several hundred dollars. It pairs wells with a variety of foods, and works even with breakfast foods! If you’re not a rap star or diplomat, but still want to drink like one, I suggest the Domaine Ste. Michelle Blanc de Blanc. This can be had for about $13 and drinks like a much more expensive bottle. It has a very crisp, almost apple-y taste and has a slightly dry lemon finish. It’s a very user friendly option that will make your friends think you’re a big deal.

If you’re looking for a higher end option for a special occasion, try a bottle I just indulged in: Argyle Extended Tirage Brut 1999 Vintage. For about $60, you can drink the #18 on Wine Spectator’s List of the Top 100 of 2009. This is quite an honor, and you’ll see why once you taste it. It has a complex flavor with a hint of pear and vanilla. It tastes basically like heaven in a glass with angels tickling your nose hairs. I also love Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label. This goes for about $45, and is quite tasty. If you truly want to whoop it up and pretend you’re Jay-Z for the day, go for what all the top dogs are drinking in the clubs, and grab yourself a bottle of Cristal ($200), Dom Perignon ($150), or the choice of today’s starlets, heiresses, and thugs alike, Armand de Brignac Brut Gold, at the bargain basement prce of $230. I have not sampled the last one, but it better be damned good for that price.

The next option in sparkly wine is Prosecco, the Italian answer to French Champagne. It is less bubbly than its French counterpart, and oftentimes much less expensive. It still packs the fizzy punch without being quite so over-the-top. It also pairs easily with a number of foods, and stands strong in wine cocktails as well. My favorite combination is a truly Italian summer afternoon bevvy that consists of a shot of Limoncello dropped into the Prosecco. The combination of the sweet citrusy liqueur mingling in with the soft bubbles of the Prosecco is something I wouldn’t mind enjoying more often. I suppose this cocktail is the Italian equivalent of Royale, a shot of crème de cassis or Chambord dropped into Champagne. It is truly a luxurious cocktail. My favorite Prosecco to be found in Fargo is one by Oriel, and it runs about $20. Another option, as Fargo does not have a huge Prosecco selection is to shop online. One that I recently ordered (and promptly ran out of!) was the Riondo Pink Prosecco. For about $11 you can enjoy a deliciously smooth bottle without ever having to leave your home.

Lastly, but most certainly not least, is Cava. This is the Spanish version, produced mostly in Catalonia, southwest of Barcelona, is made under fewer restrictions than Champagne, but is still only allowed to be considered “Cava” if it is made within six regions. My favorite way to drink this is in Sangria Cava. This is a sweeter concoction made by adding various bits of fruit to the Cava and letting their flavors combine into a fabulous fizzy cocktail. A few varieties available in Fargo include some from Freixenet. They run about $10-12, with a higher end reserve bottle called Segura Viudas running about $23.

Of course, if you’re planning on just shaking it up and spraying it all over your friends, may I suggest a bottle of Andre Extra Dry, which can be yours for about $5. It has a fruity aroma, and wipes clean with a bit of Windex or hand soap. Happy Holidays everyone, and drink responsibly!

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